Is menstrual blood najis?
Yes, menstrual blood is najis, but the woman herself is pure. Period blood on your clothes or body must be washed off before you pray. At the same time, a woman on her period is not impure: her body, sweat, touch and cooking are all clean, and she can live normally with her family.
Period blood must be washed off
A woman asked the Prophet ﷺ what to do if her clothes get menstrual blood on them. He said that she should rub the soiled place, rub it in water to remove the traces of blood, pour water over it, and then she can pray in it (Sahih al-Bukhari 227). Scholars are agreed that menstrual blood is najis, even those who take a lighter view of other kinds of blood. The wider topic of blood is covered separately. See Is blood najis?
How to wash a period stain
- Rinse the stain as soon as you can with cold water. Hot water can set blood into fabric.
- Rub the spot with your fingers, soap or a little detergent until the blood lifts.
- Pour or rinse with clean water until the colour and traces are gone.
- Wash the garment as normal, and dry it.
If a faint mark stays after you have really tried, it is excused. Aisha said that the women of her household had only one garment each, and when menstrual blood got on it, they applied saliva and rubbed the spot with their nails (Sahih al-Bukhari 312). Islam does not ask for perfect-looking laundry. Other cleaning options are covered separately. See What can I use to clean najis at home?
Pads, underwear and prayer
- You do not pray during your period, so there is no prayer to worry about while you are bleeding.
- Once your period has ended and you have done ghusl, check that the clothes you pray in are free of blood. If a stain from earlier is still there, wash it.
- If you are not sure whether a mark is blood or something else, you may treat your clothes as clean.
- If you have irregular bleeding between periods, ask a trusted imam or scholar about your situation.
The rules about prayer during a period are covered separately. See Do I have to pray while on my period?
The woman herself is not impure
Some communities in Medina would not eat with a menstruating woman or even live in the same house as her. When the Companions asked the Prophet ﷺ about this, he told them: "Do everything except intercourse" (Sahih Muslim 302). Aisha said she used to comb the hair of the Prophet ﷺ while she was on her period (Sahih al-Bukhari 295). So a woman's body, hands, sweat and saliva are pure during her period, and she can cook, clean and touch things without affecting them. See Can Muslims eat food cooked by a woman on her period?
- Menstrual blood is najis and must be washed off clothes and skin (Sahih al-Bukhari 227).
- Rinse with cold water first, then rub and wash until the traces are gone.
- A faint stain left after real effort is excused (Sahih al-Bukhari 312).
- A woman on her period is not impure and can live normally (Sahih Muslim 302).
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